ALLENTOWN MORNING CALL EDITORIAL: BONUSGATE, PARTISANGATE AND STATE POLITICS

A Captain Renault post: Another PA newspaper editorial board has weighed in with serious questions and doubts about the quality and motives of Tom Corbett's Bonusgate investigation. The Allentown Morning Call published an editorial on Sunday April 5 which began by reminding voters of the prescient warning of Corbett's opponent in the Attorney General race, John Morganelli.

From the Morning Call:

"When Democratic Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli was trying to oust Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett in last year's election, one of his campaign points was that the incumbent Republican had politicized his office. Exhibit A was the fact that Mr. Corbett's investigation into corruption in the state Legislature has led to the arrests of only Democrats. Worse than that, Mr. Morganelli said, by initially charging only members of one party, the attorney general allowed the others to destroy evidence and avoid trouble."

John Morganelli is a seasoned prosecutor and he tried to warn PA's voters about the dangers of Corbett politicizing the Bonusgate investigation. Most people -- and newspapers -- dismissed his warnings and Corbett sailed to victory. But as the months have passed and the Bonusgate investigation now enters it's third year without a single Republican being charged with any crime many are starting to take another look at what Morganelli and others said from the start : Corbett is using Bonusgate as a political weapon.

The Morning call editorial ended with this:

"Mr. Corbett is like a lot of prosecutors in that he doesn't say much about working investigations. Earlier this year, however, he said the next round of Bonusgate charges will shock people because of how much money is involved. Much harder for him to handle will be skepticism about his impartiality if he doesn't find any of it passing through Republican hands."

Several other newspapers have recently published editorials commenting on and criticizing Corbett's Bonusgate investigation. Read them here and here.